Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-15
THE ALBATROSS.
Something About the Fateful
Bird Of Nautical Romance.

come forms beguile the tedium of q
long sea voyage perhaps the albatross
(Diomedia exulans) attracts the most
attention. 1t is found below the thir-
teenth parallel of latitude in all the
Austral seas. Its length, from the
beak to the end of the short tail, is
about A feet, and the spread of wing in
the largest out of nearly two dozen we
have measured was, il we recollect
exactly, IL feet inches. Most are,
however, about 10 feet, or a little
more. If its body be considered alone,
irrespective of the wings, it may be
called goose-like bird, though it has
a short neck, like that of a gull
Sailors, indeed, often call it the "Cape
goose" But the wonder is that this
inoffensive creature is armed with a
tremendously massive beak, probably
the most terrible weapon of its
kind, at any rate in ap-
pearance, possessed by any of the
feathered race. This ends in a vul-
turine hook with sharp point of ex-
treme strength and hardness. Aspec-
linen we have Just been measuring is
about seven inches from its junction
with the feathers at the top of the
skull to the end, or, measured along
the curves of the upper mandible to
the tip, eight inches. The horny
crook of this mandible, which is of a
denser and harder substance than
the rest, and is distinctly joined or
spliced on to it as separate structure
is nearly two inches in perpendicular
depth and three inches along the
curve. The lower mandible is in the
form of deep trough, and its neither
edge is nearly flush with the hook Of
the upper mandible leaving but
little bit projecting. The measure
ment around the head and under the
throat of this specimen is fourteen
inches. The webbed foot, armed with
nails, the largest full inch long, is
about seven inches wide. When this
creature settles on the water it looks
like large white duck, though the col
Oring varies with individuals, and they
are never, we incline to think, entire
ly white; at least, we never saw one
wholly white, though in the "roaring
forties" few days or none elapse with
out at least a single specimen appear
ing, sometimes there are fifteen or
score. The majority of the birds are
chiefly brown above. with a sugges-
ton of greenish tint but white is the
prevailing hue upon the breast and
under-surfaces. These, from slight
inferiority in size and other
indications, seem to be immature
birds, probably not more than five or
six years old, though possibly they are
hens. A large pumber, however, are
for the most part white, the brown
disappearing last from the upper sur
face OF the wings. One grand bird we
remember, distinguished by a wari-
ness due, probably to years, was
wholly white, except at the tips of his
wings, where the dark hue still
fingered. Another which was caught
was almost white; but, in addi-
tion to the dark tip of the wings,
when brought on deck, his breast was
seento be not entirely white, but pen
ciled delicately in sepia, with a kind
of wavy ripple mark, the last traces of
its pristine darkness. Nothing can
excel the whiteness of the white parts
of the albatross and other birds of
ocean. Living forever in a taintless
air, and bathed perpetually by the
"clear translucent wave," their plu-
mage is unsullied by the slightest tinge
or blemish, pure as a lily or fresh-fallen
snow. The breast of the great alba
tross, moreover, has beauty all its
own. The feathers are broad and
rounded. and the white, instead of
being milky and Opaque, as it is with
other sea birds, shines with pearly
luster, almost like the feathers of a
grebe.
But the most wonderful thing about
the albatross is their flight, It is an
unfailing source of interest. They
very rarely ply their wings, but keep
the fluent tenor of their way with
giant vans outstretched and motion
less. All flight is perennial marvel.
We see and partly understand it,
since in its common cases the forces
which produce and govern it can be
determined; but we can have no
realizing sense of it. But over
and above the case of ordinary
birds, problems of fight remain which
almosA battle science. What power
conveys the osprey at a level, for fur
long after furlong, to sweep upward
without effort at the last? How do
the condors sail around Antisana and
Sorata without the least vibration of
their wings? Save when they are ris-
ing from the ground, Mr.. Darwin, dur
ing long and unremitting scrutiny,
failed to detect tremor of their
Quills. He was driven to surmise that
in fluid like the air, where friction
is SO slight, the frequent vigorous
movements of their necks and other
members might suffice for progress as
they fioated on their vast supports.
But albatrosses do not move at all,
except by a slight bending of the
neck from side to side as they search
the waves for any nutritient morsel.
Fly they do not, in any common
sense, but sail to this conclusion we
are forced. The opinion is con-
firmed by the continual alterations OF
the angle of their wings (that is of the
whole bird, with wings always in a
line with one another) with the sur
face of the water, which probably is
done to get the full advantage from
every little puff and current. These
take all sorts OF turns, often at steep
inclination up or down, and the alba
tross. when he feels the breeze, at
once assumes, with faultless instinct,
the angle which will give him
most propulsion. In consequence
of this, the flight often exhib-
it's a great variety of motions, or
rather variations of direction, swerv-
ing to right or left-obliquely upwards
--whithersoever it may suit him. The
act of turning is accompanied by a
corresponding change of inclination
thus, as a skater leans over to the CEN
ter Of a circle of which ~he describes
an arc, SO the albatross, when swerv-
ing to the right, alters the angle
Of his frame SO that tie left wing